Meteors from the Eta Aquariids, created by space debris left behind by the famous Halley’s Comet, are set to zoom across the sky as the meteor shower peaks tonight.
The Eta Aquariids will peak from Monday night through Tuesday morning, according to NASA. Astronomy fans hoping to enjoy the meteors can check local forecasts for detailed information on how clear the night sky will be in various locations.
Under optimal conditions, about 50 Eta Aquariid meteors can be seen per hour during the shower’s peak. But light from the waxing moon will wash out the fainter meteors this year, according to Bill Cooke, who leads NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office. Viewers can expect 10-15 meteors per hour just before dawn on Tuesday morning.
When and where to see the Eta Aquariids
While the shower will peak from May 5 to May 6, the shower will be active until May 21.
To catch the meteors at their peak, NASA advises going outside around 2 a.m. local time on Tuesday. The moon will set by around 3 a.m., leaving skies dark until dawn.
The shower will be viewable in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres but the conditions will be better in the Southern Hemisphere.
Viewers should find an area away from lights, then lie on their backs with their feet facing east.
NASA advises viewers should look away from the moon and give their eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Avoid looking at bright lights, such as a cellphone.
Bring a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair to keep comfortable while waiting for the meteors.
What are meteor showers?
Meteors, space rocks that enter Earth’s atmosphere, streak through the sky every day.
But meteor showers — when many meteors hit Earth’s atmosphere over a short period of time — happen less frequently. When meteors pass through the atmosphere, they leave streaks of light behind them, giving them the appearance of a shooting star.
Most meteors burn up as they fall toward Earth, but some survive the trip and are then considered meteorites.
What makes the Eta Aquariids unique
The Eta Aquariids are known for their speed. The Eta Aquariids travel about 40 miles per second.
Eta Aquarid meteors in the Northern Hemisphere are often earthgrazers — long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon, according to NASA.
Meteors in the Eta Aquariids come from space debris that originated from Halley’s comet. Halley sheds a layer of ice and dust into space each time it returns to the inner solar system. The shed space dust forms two meteor showers a year: the Eta Aquarids in May and the Orionids in October.
Those hoping to see Halley itself will have to wait a while. Halley takes about 76 years to orbit the sun and will not enter the inner solar system again until 2061.
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